Ukraine rises by 18 points in the Press Freedom Index

Over the past year, Ukraine has climbed 18 points in the Press Freedom Index to rank 61st according to the international human rights organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF). 

The improvement is attributed to enhanced political and security conditions. Despite the ongoing war, there was a decrease in the number of journalists killed in 2023. 2012 and 2013 are marked by the highest number of journalists killed since 2000 (144 and 143, respectively)*.

* 2010-2014 was the term of the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine’s fourth president. Yanukovych, a member of the pro-Russian Party of Regions, was removed from the presidency during the 2014 revolution, which coincided with Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian Crimea and the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian War. He fled to Russia in 2014.

The RSF report indicates that the Russian-Ukrainian war continues to threaten the survival of Ukrainian media outlets. The conflict has exacerbated the battle against Russian propaganda, and a declining economic performance has further impacted the media landscape.

“Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the safety of journalists has been more threatened than ever. They are sometimes deliberately targeted despite displaying ‘Press’ signs. The list of wounded or killed reporters and media outlets heavily affected by airstrikes continues to grow. Cyberattacks, violations of source confidentiality, and restrictions on access to information are also significant concerns,” the report states.

RSF acknowledges that the media law adopted at the end of 2022 has aligned Ukrainian legislation with European standards. However, the enforcement of martial law has occasionally resulted in restrictions on journalists.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is an international non-governmental human rights organization that protects freedom of expression worldwide. The organization combats censorship and advocates for releasing journalists imprisoned for their professional activities.

In 2022, Ukraine ranked 106th in the Press Freedom Index.

Main image: investory

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Translation: Ilona Babkina

Editing: Terra Friedman King